guest post >>> something devine

Hi guys, it's E. Have you missed me this week....I tell ya this sickness has taken its toll on me. I am finally starting to feel a little better! 

Anyways, I have something super exciting today for you. So, I have this new blog crush her name is Hailey and she blogs at Something Devine. She is the cutest thing ever and oh so talented. Well, guess what....she is taking over abcde today!

Hello lovelies! My name is Hailey Devine, and I’m going to tell you a little bit about myself and what I blog about over here at Something Devine! I’m a 22 year old newlywed who loves capturing life’s little adventures. I blog about my video work, travels, and every day little things that make me smile. :) 

I married my best friend 9 months ago and currently live here in SLC, UT. We (My husband, brother and I) have a production company (Haugen Creative) and are so blessed to do what we love for a living! It has taken me to over 10 countries and I have been able to meet some of the most incredible people. Here’s some of my favorite videos we’ve created (& of course my wedding video!) 

I hope you enjoy!

How awesome is Hailey? Her videos and photos are so inspiring. I just love her work. How cute was her wedding dress? && I may have cried when I watched her engagement video...may have. Be sure to stop by Hailey's blog and say hi from ABCDE. Thanks for stopping by Hailey! You can visit her here.

xoxo

a little valentine's craft

Hi readers. I am still dealing with this horrid ear infection. Thankfully I am feeling a lot better than Friday but, anyways....posting will be sparse this week but, I just had to share this d.i.y with you! Enjoy!

1. Trace all you hearts on your felt or hole punch them out. I did 20 on each piece of felt. For a total of 60 hearts. 

2. Cut all your hearts out if you traced them. Now lay them out on the floor in your desired pattern. 

3. Fire up the trusty hot glue gun. Now, glue them together by placing a dab of glue on the top corner then placing the next heart. Repeat until all hearts are glued together. 

4. While I let the hearts dry....I grabbed some ribbon and made little loops to make hanging up easier! {this is totally optional}

&& now it's all dry {which it dried in about 10 min.} Hang it up and admire your sweet crafting skills. Oh wait, maybe I am the only one who does that. I guess Im super into my self! {just kidding} The best part of this whole craft was I had all the supplies I needed! 

Happy Valentine's crafting! 
xoxo

ear infections are the worst

this week has literally been the worst week ever. a cold, cramps, and a freaking ear infection to top it off.  first thing this morning the hubs took me to insta care to finally get checked out. i have a freaking ear infection and i feel like crap. i got some amoxicillin {strong kind too} so, let's pray it helps and the infection goes away soon.  

so excuse me from this little blog of mine for a few days while i sleep, and focus on getting better. i am so bummed because tonight was suppose to be the night i finally hang out with some of my blog friends....ugh! let's do it when i am better ok, girls!! 

wishing you all a happy weekend and hope you aren't sick like me. 
xoxo

date night idea

you see dan and i, love us some hawaiian pizza. well...any pizza really. we also love to make our own. super easy too. all you need is some rhodes rolls {or pizza dough of your liking}, spaghetti sauce, toppings and cheese. && then you have yourself a freaking yummy dinner. im all about yummy and easy dinners! i do love to cook but, sometimes you just need an easy dinner on the menu. plus it makes a super fun date night in. 

do you love pizza as much as us? please say we aren't they only ones. what are your favorite pizza toppings?

happy weekend, loves!

xoxo

girl, take care of that hair

utah is dry, dry, dry and does a number on my hair + skin. i shared how i take care of my skin here && now i am sharing one little thing i do to take care of my hair. enjoy....

what you need: 

1 tbsp honey 

2 tbsp oil 

measuring spoons

cup that is microwavable 

>> put oil and honey in cup. {you may need to add more or less of each. depending on your hair thickness. i have a lot so, i use 2tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of honey}

>> stir it up.

>> microwave til warm. about 8-10 sec.

>> after you wash hair with shampoo pour warm oil on hair. work through ends. 

>> leave on for 30min. cover with shower cap or towel. 

>> after 30min rise and condition

&& now you have silky smooth hair. i try to do this once a month! do you have any awesome diy hair treatments? do share! 

ps. will you be my valentine sign ups are closed. thanks to everyone who signed up!! you all have been emailed!!! 

xoxo

life according to some instagrams

{just some instas from lately}

guys, i am sick again. i swear i am always sick. not really but, sometimes it feels like it. i actually have felt really good and healthy the last few weeks && than BAM this weekend i started feeling like crap. achy, nauseous, stuffy, sore throat and just tired. i am determined to kick this cold's trash by this coming weekend...you will see why soon! 

i do want to say how blessed i feel to have an amazing mother in law. yesterday she took time out of her busy schedule to bring me medicine, cough drops, tissues {the toilet paper wasn't cutting it anymore}, cozy socks, soup and a diet coke. a woman after my own heart. susan, is the most loving, caring, sweet and giving person i know. i am so lucky to have a wonderful mother in law! love you susan. i hope to be a great mother like you someday! 

wishing you all a happy day. now excuse me while i lay on the couch and watch grey's anatomy! 

follow me on instagram @erykaann. i will return the love! 

xoxo

just a quote for your monday

{via}

well said, miss oprah. well said. wishing you all a happy day! 

xoxo

ps. one more day to sign up for the will you be my valentine swap. go here!

sometimes....

{photo by ashley eliza photography}

>> you write you a long post about something you have never blogged about. but can't get the guts to publish it, so you delete it. yea, im such a baby!

>> you have photos taken by your blog bff for your anniversary, way before your anniversary. {thanks ashley eliza photography...cant wait to see the rest!}

>> your feet are always cold. 

>> you finally watch pitch perfect and laugh your butt off.

>> all the silverware you own is in the sink dirty so, then and only then you decide to wash the dishes. 

>> friends who you haven't seen in 2 years move to utah. we love having them close!

>> the baby hunger is getting out of control. 

>> re watching greys anatomy was the best decision ever {thanks kirsten for the idea!} and you become totally addicted all over again! 

wishing you a happy day! 
xoxo

ps. i am hosting 2 giveaways right now. see them here + here.  go enter + good luck!

product review >>> hanna air professional hair dryer

About a month ago Misikko contacted me about reviewing the Hana Air Professional hair dryer. As a licensed hairstylist I know all about Hana products, they are freaking amazing. When people ask me what hair tool to get I always say "You pay for the quality!" Trust me, I have used other tools which are not professional...before I received this dryer I was using some cheap-o conair dryer from Target. I know a hairstylist using a cheap-o tools. Yeah, I did. Im not made of money, guys! 

Once, I received my package from Misikko and I was blown away. They really threw in a lot of extra goodies. See? 

{hana air professional blow dryer, eyelash curler, teddy bear, flat iron case, brush, emery boards, and a plastic rose}

{My favorite things about this dryer!}
+ It's fast. Dries my hair in about 8-10 min. No joke! With other dryers it takes about 20.
+ Comes with a attachable air concentrator. Which helps with the heat damage. 
+ Leaves hair silky smooth. AKA less time with the straightener!
+ The heat control buttons.
+ Cuts my getting ready time in half. 
+ Has a LONG cord. Most professional tools do!
+ The cool shot button. You don't have to hold it down. Just one click and ta da cool air! 

In this before picture my hair was dried with the cheap-o dryer. Can you say frizzy mess? This was even with my usual blow dry routine. Adding product, and round brushing. {Hair tip: Before you blow dry add product and comb through. Do NOT brush when hair is wet, it can cause lots damage to the hair, I also try to my fingers to blow dry my hair! My fave products to use: It's a 10 and Skinny serum by Paul Mitchell}

In this after picture my hair was prepped as usual and then dried with the Hana Air Professional dryer. No straightener was used in this picture. {Hair tip: After your hair is dry. Click the cool shot and dry hair for a few min} Crazy difference right? Like, un real. I am in LOVE with this hair dryer and don't think I can ever use anything else! So, thanks Misikko for letting me review this hair dryer and for all the cute goodies in the package! 

xoxo

book review >>> delirium

"They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie."

That is the description from Amazon. That alone hooked me in. This book was amazing. Loved it all. I loved the whole story line of a future world where the government controls things {like my favorite series hunger games}. It really made me think how I would handle living like that. Here we have this girl Lena {love that name!} who is only months away from her procedure. When you are of age in this world...you have this procedure done to cure you from ever experiencing love. I cannot even imagine never being able to feel and experience love. Can you?! Not only do they control everything, they have manipulated everyone in thinking what they are doing is for good. Lena will soon find out its all a lie.

Anyways, Lena meets this boy Alex and well you guessed it....they fall in love. Which is poor timing considering she is about to get cured. Oh yeah I forgot to add when you get cured you also get matched with 3 people and will end up with 1 of the 3. Can you believe that? The government choose how you live your life and who you will live it with. Sad right? Lena gets matched with this guy who straight up says she looks ugly. How rude! Anyways...

Lena and Alex are perfect together. I love them together, it's like forbidden love. The books ends and you will literally scream. I need to read the 2nd book Pandemonium. Like stat. But, now I am reading City of Bones for the Bloggy Book Club! {you can still sign up!!!!}

Have you read Delirium? Let's discuss! See another book review here. 

fondue night with the helvey's

saturday afternoon after the snow finally let up {guys, we got over 2ft on this weekend...insane!} we drove down to provo to for our photo session with ashley. {cannot wait to see them and share them with you!!!}

&& then we went to hang out with our favorite cousins/friends annie + michael helvey. we had dinner at noodles & co, then fondue at their apt {mmmm!}. it was so much fun. lots of laughs, chocolate eating, and apples to apples playing. we love the helvey's and are so glad they are family. {we love you guys! xoxo}

did you all have a great weekend? do anything fun?

will you be my valentine? {a blogger swap}

Hey guys! Kailyn from Sealed With A Kiss & I are excited to announce a fun swap we thought up. It is called "Will You Be My Valentine?" It is a blogger swap where you will be paired with a secret blogger and then will send them a little package with Valentine goodies. So fun right? Who doesn't love getting a secret Valentine? To particapte simply fill the survey out that is at the end of the post! Sign up deadline is January 22nd. After you sign up place the button at the end of this post on your blog somewhere to spread the word about the swap! 

How it will work is, after we get all entries we will email you with your secret Valentine. Keyword it is a SECRET! Your job then will be to check out their blog and try to get a sense of what they are all about. Then put together a little package of Valentine goodies for them and mail it on or before February 1st! 

We ask that you spend no more than $10 on their goodies and to please keep it a secret. As you put together the package snap some photos and share via Instagram be sure to tag @kaybellaa and @erykaann as well as use the hashtag #willyoubemyvalentineswap.  

After all packages have been mailed and received there will be a reveal your Valentine post on February 15th where you will reveal who you had and who had you {include pics!}. Yep the day after Valentines day, that way we can all still post our Valentines posts or mushy love notes to our loves! We are so excited about this and hope you are all too! OPEN TO US & CANADA ONLY! 

Just to review here are all the important dates to remember: 
Sign up deadline: January 22nd 
Mail your Valentine's package: February 1st
Reveal your Valentine: February 15th

<center> <a href="http://abcdetheblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="abcde" src="http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x374/erykaann/vdayswap200X200jpg_zps2d92a6c9.jpg" /></a></center>

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you guys....

{via}

......ahhhh. 'nuff said. 

xoxo

what i'm pinning

welcome to the very first "what i'm pinning" post. use to be known as {pinterest love}. i thought with the new year why not mix things up and title the pinterest posts something else. so, every so often i will share what i'm pinning {once a week or just whenev}. i am also thinking of making this something a fellow blogger can cohost with me. like, i share my pins then a fellow blogger will share hers. i dont know....just thinking out loud. 

reading nook//via

ombre braid//via

downton abbey print//via

i'm feeling print//via

there you have some of my favorite pins of late. do you pin? i would love to follow along. you can follow me here. leave me the link to your pinterest in a comment and i will return the love. 

xoxo

it's the start of something new

yes, i just straight up quoted high school musical 2 in the title. that's how i roll! above are just a few photos since we've been gone. new years eve party thrown by jase + rachel, snowy days, freezing weather, crafting, blogging brain storming, food, twinkle lights, tea drinking, a game night with phil + bridget and lots of downton abbey watching. i have finished season 3 {yep, even before it airs in the u.s.}. so far this new year has been pretty amazing! i have a feel this will be our year!

xoxo

word of the year

my 2013 word is patience. i have never been a very patient person....like ever. obviously i have had to practice this in life ever since i was a kid but, lately this has been quite the struggle for me. i always want things or answers instantly. like how i can't wait for my nails to dry before i feel the need to start doing things, or how i dont like to wait for prayers to be answered when i want them to be. over the last few months i have been thinking and praying for patience in all things in my life. i pray that during this year i can really work and learn how to be patient. 

have you chosen a word for the year? this my first time choosing a word and i hope to do this in years to come. 

it's a new year. so, that means...

hey guys, i am back from my little break. it was so nice to take some time for me and get away from this blog. can you keep a secret? i never went away. i was still doing other blog stuff {bad eryka!} i do have some exciting ideas for this little blog of mine for 2013. so, last week was spent brainstorming!

i want to say thank you to all those darling ladies who took over for me. i loved reading all their posts! hope you did too! you will have to bare with me this week while i play a little catch up! 

...it's that time again {well you probably already did this since we are 7 days into january!}...time to write down things you hope to accomplish during the new year. i was look back through my list from last year and it was pretty fun to go through and cross off the ones i accomplished! so, at the end of this year i will turn 25 {holy cow!}. i have decided to make a list of 25 goals/resolutions to accomplish this year. everyone seems to be doing the 25 before 25 thing so, i tried to make it a little different and wait until new years to start. also, count this as januarys happy list. since all these new goals make me happy!!! 

+ find a way to give more 

+ read my scriptures daily 

+ cut dairy out of my diet 

+ read 25 books 
+ get pregnant {can atleast wish for it!}

+ set a time every day to unplug from the internets

+ get in shape//loose that extra weight {so cliche'} 

+ try harder in all things 

+ tell those i love, i love you more often

+ drink more water 

+ not be so quick to judge others 

+ attend temple more often 

+ do yoga at least 3 times a week

+ stick to a groceries budget 

+ cook more meals at home 4 or 5 nights a week

+ tell/find ways to show the husband i appreciate him more

+ not let the dishes pile up in the sink

+ organize our apt

+ be more diligent in my personal prayers  

+ not be so shy 

+ no blogging when the hubby is home or on weekends

+ eat less carbs {i know, i am crazy!}

+ plan a vacation to somewhere we haven't been but, close to home

+ watch less tv 

+ do more random acts of kindness 

some may think it's silly to write things down since alot of us don't accomplish what we want but, i have always loved it! so, what is on your 2013 list?

xoxo 

guest post >>> he & i

Hey guys! Can you believe it's 2013?! So, I am taking a little break you know just to recharge my batteries and get inspired. While I am away I have some lovely ladies taking over for me. Each day this week you will hear from a different blogger and they will be sharing their 2013 goals + resolutions with you. I hope you enjoy because these are some awesome girls and posts. See you guys next week! XO  

Hi there! I'm Lex from the He&I blog, and I'm happy to be hanging out here today. I'm so excited to start the new year with my main squeeze and little munchkin. Beginning a new year always seems so fresh and filled with endless possibilities! It seems that every year I can come up with plenty of resolutions. . . and plenty of excuses not to keep them! Anyone else have that problem? Anyone!? Feel free to raise your hands. 

I finally figured out that I stink at sticking to my big, life altering resolutions. So instead of so many specifics (because lets face it, I'm never going to read that exact number of pages or work out that many times a week), I decided to give a little more, a little at a time. A little more family time and a little less social media. A little more exercising and a little more saving. I figured, if I practice a little at a time, then one day those little resolutions will become a habit, and maybe I can finally announce that I kept one (or two! or three!) of my goals. And if I only do a little bit more than I did this  year, well, at least I can pat myself on the back and try again the next year. Or the next. Or the next.

Here's to new years resolutions, remembered...and sometimes forgotten! 

Happy 2013!

blog//shop//instagram 

Oh my word how darling is Alexa's family? So cute. Her baby girl E makes me so baby hungry! I love how creative she is and all her goals for 2013! Thanks girlie! XO

guest post >>> shooting the moon

Hey guys! Can you believe it's 2013?! So, I am taking a little break you know just to recharge my batteries and get inspired. While I am away I have some lovely ladies taking over for me. Each day this week you will hear from a different blogger and they will be sharing their 2013 goals + resolutions with you. I hope you enjoy because these are some awesome girls and posts. See you guys next week! XO  

Hi! My name is Rachel, and I blog over at Shooting the Moon . I'm a 23-year old newlywed (okay, so we've been married for two years- is that still considered newlywed?) living in Utah. I love my husband, crafting, running, clothes, and everything pretty.

I'm super excited to be guest posting for Eryka today- and especially because I love the subject! I adore making resolutions each New Years... There is something so refreshing about sitting down and putting on paper all of the things you want to do throughout the year. 

In the past, my resolutions have always been many and very specific. Like, "Lose ten pounds" or "go to the gym three times a week" or "cook a fancy dinner twice a week." But this year, I've found myself thinking about my resolutions and I've come up with just one. And it's pretty ambiguous. Are you ready? Drumroll please... my resolution this year is to take better care of myself. 

I'm sure a lot of you can understand where I'm coming from. I think as girls, we tend to take care of everyone but ourselves. And living that way can make a girl feel a little bit left out sometimes, you know? Most of my days are so jam-packed full of working, running errands, and fulfilling obligations that I often let my own needs fly out the window. So my goal this year is just to take better care of myself! I'm going to make more time for myself in between my hectic schedule. I'm going to get my hair done more than once a year. I'm going to exercise, eat healthy, learn new things, do some crafting, and sometimes, I'm even going to call in sick from work and just be lazy ;)

I hope you all had a wonderful New Years! And I hope you all take wonderful care of yourselves this year too. Come and say hi to me at Shooting the Moon sometime- I love to meet new friendos. And thanks for letting me guest post Eryka! 

Blog//Instagram//Pinterest 

I can tell you all first hand how awesome Rachel is. Her husband and my husband are childhood friends and now that we're all married and stuff we all hang out && it's pretty awesome. We have had some pretty fun times with them! Thanks for the great post Rach! XO

guest post >>> k & r

Hey guys! Can you believe it's 2013?! So, I am taking a little break you know just to recharge my batteries and get inspired. While I am away I have some lovely ladies taking over for me. Each day this week you will hear from a different blogger and they will be sharing their 2013 goals + resolutions with you. I hope you enjoy because these are some awesome girls and posts. See you guys next week! XO  

hey guys im kirsten from k&r. i'm so excited to be posting over here i just love eryka! anyways, going along with the theme i've been thinking about new years. im actually never been one to make goals or resolutions of any sort unless otherwise desired for school or things such as that, however i'm really excited about the upcoming year. here's why:

first of all i've been married to this cutie for a year

however, in the year to come we will be expecting:

graduation from BYU

internships that will hopefully get us real jobs

and moving out of Utah

being in the real world, real jobs, new places, new people

hopefully getting a kitty or a puppy

some goals and resolutions that we have are:

to be active—mainly to find different ways we enjoy

enjoy nature more

eat better—or incorporate more healthy foods

work on our scripture study and temple attendance

make more friends, single, married, dating, blogging, just friends everywhere

continue on and improve my photography

find what really interests me and do it

get a job that i like

graduate, for reals

work on my typography

have lots of fun dates together!

take more pictures and make videos

i feel like i could make a million goals and resolutions for us because we aren't perfect, but these are just a few things i want to focus on and that we are looking for. 2013 is going to be an awesome and big year.

what are you guys looking forward to?

-K-

blog//twitter//instagram 

Let me tell you how much I adore this girl. She is quickly becoming a close friend. I just love her and this post. I love all her goals!!! Thanks for the awesome post Kirsten! XO